Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Entertainers: EU Countries

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to negotiate with the EU a visa waiver agreement for UK musicians and other artists touring and working on a temporary basis in the EU.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK took an ambitious approach to negotiations with the EU, and our proposals would have ensured that touring artists and their support staff did not need work-permits to perform in the EU. Regrettably, these were rejected by the EU.It is not UK Government policy to negotiate visa-waivers. The Government is focussed on supporting the creative sector to adapt to requirements for touring in the EU and has now confirmed the vast majority of Member States offer visa and work permit free routes for touring. The UK Government has engaged with the remaining Member States on allowing creative professionals to tour more easily, however ultimately it is up to these countries to align their requirements more closely with the UK's generous rules.

Middle East: Geopolitics

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the joint trilateral statement issued by the governments of China, Saudi Arabia and Iran, issued on 10 March, on geopolitics in the Middle East region.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCDO welcomes the agreement if it leads to a de-escalation of tension and a reduction of Iran's destabilising activity in the region. The long-term stability of the Gulf is important to everyone. The onus is on Iran to honour its commitment in the joint trilateral statement to respect the principles of sovereignty and non-interference.

EU Law: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government which areas of EU law will be disapplied to Northern Ireland, apart from the 67 rules on sanitary and phytosanitary issues, as a result of the Windsor Framework.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: All of the rules disapplied are set out in the legal texts published as part of the Windsor Framework. By the EU's own calculations, less than 3 percent of EU rules apply - with those that remain only applying to secure maximum free trade and market access for Northern Ireland firms. It should also be recognised that this is not a straightforward list, as some of those rules will be applied in part for the red lane but not applied in the green lane, for example. But, to provide some further examples:- Requirements in the Union Customs Code (UCC) for rules of origin certificates, tariffs, and commodity codes for each movement do not apply for internal UK trade; nor are there any requirements for customs declarations for consumer parcels, which are classified automatically as "not at risk". And we have secured unfettered access by removing any need for export declarations or equivalent information for goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain as would otherwise have been set out in the UCC.- The requirements in the VAT Directive which prevented the zero-rating of energy-saving materials have been disapplied, enabling the introduction of support in Northern Ireland on 1 May; as have limits on alcohol duty structures in EU rules harmonising excise duty structures.- And for medicines we have disapplied any role for the European Medicines Agency in authorising medicines for the UK market, as otherwise set out in EU rules on the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products; and removed packaging any other requirements in the Falsified Medicines Directive.These changes have safeguarded Northern Ireland's place in the Union and our internal market, while continuing to support Northern Ireland's businesses by providing them access to the whole UK market as well as the EU market.

Saudi Arabia: Prisoners

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia concerning the judicial treatment of Salma al Shehab and Noura al Qahtani; and concerning their treatment, and the treatment of other women, in Saudi prisons.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have raised the continued detention of individuals for expressing their political views, including women and women's rights defenders, with the Saudi government. The FCDO is monitoring the cases of Salma al-Shehab and Noura al-Qahtani. I [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon]  most recently raised their cases with the President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission on 11 April. We will continue to raise human rights issues, including individual cases, with the Saudi authorities.

Home Office

Visas: Orchestras

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have reviewed the case of five Ukrainian members of the Khmelnitsky Orchestra whose visa applications to perform in the UK were initially refused and then delayed, preventing them from performing in The Magical Music of Harry Potter tour on 1 April which was included on the gov.uk website as an example of the strong UK–Ukraine friendship; and what steps they are taking to ensure that this does not happen again.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: For the purposes of clarification, all of the Khmelnitsky Orchestra were issued their visas.Officials across the government endeavoured to ensure the Orchestra could enter the UK as soon as possible, once they had submitted their applications, provided their biometrics and information required in support of their application.Applications are considered on their individual merits in accordance with the immigration rules with the responsibility on applicants to demonstrate they meet these rules to help avoid delays in processing.Musicians and performers are a valued and important part of UK culture, and we are pleased that the Ukrainian musicians are now in the UK and the orchestra is able to perform in full.

Foreign Relations: China

Lord Leong: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address Chinese interference in wider UK affairs following violence that occurred at protests outside the Chinese Consulate in Manchester in October 2022.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. Any attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass, or harm their critics overseas, undermining democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable.As the Security Minister stated to the House on 1 November, the Home Office works closely with departments across Whitehall and with devolved administrations to ensure that our national security is protected and that, in particular, those who have chosen to settle here are free to engage in our democratic society without fear of the regimes that they have tried to leave behind.

Department for Business and Trade

Postal Services: Standards

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessmentthey have made of the performance of Royal Mail in relation to the delivery of letters and parcels; and what steps they intend to take in response to any such assessment.

The Earl of Minto: It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail’s service standards and decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification. The Government has no role in Ofcom’s regulatory investigations.

Audit: Reform

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the draft Audit Reform Bill.

The Earl of Minto: The Government has not set a date for publication of a draft Audit Reform Bill. The Government is committed to legislating when Parliamentary time allows.

Department for Education

Arts: Secondary Education

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask His Majesty's Government whether theywill introduce the arts premium outlined in the most recent Conservative Party manifesto.

Baroness Barran: This government is committed to high quality education for all pupils, and integral to this are the arts and music.The Autumn Statement announced additional investment of £2 billion in each of 2023/24 and 2024/25, over and above totals announced at the 2021 Spending Review.This means funding for both mainstream schools and high needs is £3.5 billion higher in 2023/24, compared to 2022/23. That funding is on top of the £4 billion, year-on-year increase provided in 2022/23. In total, this represents an increase of £7.5 billion, or over 15%, in schools’ funding in just two years.Arts education is integral to the school system and the department will also continue to invest around £115 million per annum in cultural education to 2025, through our music, arts and heritage programmes. Consideration for an Arts Premium will be given in due course.

Students: China

Lord Leong: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the reliance by UK universities on tuition fees from students from China.

Baroness Barran: The department is proud that the UK is a world leading destination for international students.As set out in the Government’s International Education Strategy, higher education (HE) providers must ensure they are not overly reliant on a single source of funding, whether this is from an organisation or nation, and that they must look to diversify their intake of international students to prevent over-reliance.The most recent data published by the Higher Education Statistics Authority for the 2021/22 academic year, shows the proportion of Chinese students has fallen, whilst there has been an increase in a wide range of other international student markets, including a 50% increase in students from India, a 107% increase in students from Nigeria and a 78% increase in students from Pakistan, demonstrating the HE sector’s positive approach to diversifying their international student intake.

Confucius Institutes

Lord Leong: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of thepotential influence of Confucius Institutes on UK universities since their pledge in November 2022 to disband those operating in the UK.

Baroness Barran: The government continuously assesses threats posed to the UK. As a matter of longstanding policy, the department is unable to release information regarding threat assessments on the grounds of national security.The government is clear that any challenges to our core values, whatever their origin, will not be tolerated. The department has introduced a series of measures which will continue to tackle threats to higher education, including through the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill and National Security Bill, currently in Parliament.The department’s Integrated Review Refresh is launching a new and comprehensive review of legislative and other provisions, designed to protect our academic sector and to identify what more we could or should be doing.With regards to Confucius Institutes, like all similar bodies they should operate transparently, and with a full commitment to our values of openness and freedom of expression. Universities have a responsibility to ensure that any partnership with a Confucius Institute is managed appropriately, and the right due diligence is in place. The government encourages any providers with concerns to contact the government.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Baroness Altmann: To ask His Majesty's Government how many claimants currently receiving Universal Credit who are in employment or self-employment are earning(1) under £12,570 a year, (2) between £12,571 and £25,000 a year, (3) between £25,001 and £35,000 a year, (4) between £35,001 and £50,000 a year, and (5) over £50,000 a year.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: Universal Credit is designed to reduce as household earnings increase, so the number of high income households receiving UC would likely be very small. The level at which entitlement ends will differ depending on individual circumstances and other unearned income. As earnings information is only available at household level this has been provided below In January 2023 there were:2,610,500 households with no take home pay974,000 households with monthly take home pay between £0 - £1048662,500 households with monthly take home pay between £1048 - £2084121,600 households with monthly take home pay between £2084 - £291729,400 households with monthly take home pay between £2917 - £41671,300 households with monthly take home pay greater than £4167. Notes:The figures provided are monthly equivalents of the annual incomes specified in the question.These figures have been rounded to the nearest 100

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Demolition: Waste Disposal

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of any damage done by any dumping of building waste beside the River Roding in Chigwell.

Lord Benyon: The Environment Agency has assessed this site as a category 3 incident which is defined as having “minor or minimal impact or effect on the environment, people and/or property”. Environment Agency officers carried out a joint visit with Epping Forest District Council on 24 January 2023. At the time it was agreed the council would lead on the investigation, using their powers to issue an Enforcement Notice requiring all material imported onto site to be removed. The Environment Agency has continued to monitor the site to ensure no additional offending takes place.

Land Use

Baroness Mallalieu: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to ensure that requirements for land use which fall within the remit of (1) the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, (2) the Department for Business and Trade, (3) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and (4) the Department for Transport, and are outside the remit of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, are covered in the land use framework for England, expected to be published in draft this year.

Lord Benyon: The Government recognises that there are many diverse uses of our land that we must anticipate for the future: growing food, planting trees, building homes, natural habitats, land for infrastructure and industry, and leisure and recreation. Defra Ministers and officials are working closely with their counterparts in other relevant Departments with influences on land use to develop the scope and content of the Land Use Framework.

Northern Ireland Office

Police: Northern Ireland

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with the Police Service of Northern Ireland about providing financial support to increase officer numbers.

Lord Caine: Policing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland's main budget is allocated by the Department of Justice from the Northern Ireland block grant. It is for the devolved administration to determine the allocation of funding to the Police Service of Northern Ireland from the Block Grant. The recent Budget that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland set for Northern Ireland, in the absence of a functioning Executive, provides the Northern Ireland Department of Justice with a total allocation of £1.2 billion.In addition to the block grant, the UK Government provides the Police Service of Northern Ireland with additional security funding to tackle the SEVERE threat from Northern Ireland-related terrorism. In the financial year 2022/3, this was £32 million and is confirmed through to 2024/5.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what funding cuts scenarios they have modelled for the non-devolved budget for the Northern Ireland Office for 2023/24.

Lord Caine: The Northern Ireland Office budget for 2023/24 has not yet been finalised. However, the baseline budget for 2023/24 was set out in the 2021 Spending Review, in line with all UK government departments, and includes a reduction in administration spending compared with the prior year.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for the process of future budgetary allocations to departments of the Northern Ireland Executive.

Lord Caine: In the absence of functioning devolved institutions, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has intervened to set a Northern Ireland budget for the 2023-24 financial year, which he did on 27 April in his statement to Parliament. It will be for the relevant Northern Ireland Executive departments to manage their funding within their budget allocations. The UK Government has introduced the Northern Ireland (Interim Arrangements) Bill to ensure ongoing governance, should Northern Ireland remain without Executive Ministers beyond 5 June.It remains the UK Government’s firm view that the right people to make these decisions and set a budget are locally elected politicians in a fully functioning Northern Ireland Executive and Northern Ireland Assembly.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, and (2) permanent secretaries of the Northern Ireland Executive, regarding budgetary allocations to each of the departments in the Executive.

Lord Caine: The Secretary of State and Northern Ireland Office officials engaged intensively with the Northern Ireland Civil Service to set the Northern Ireland Budget for the 2023-24 financial year, which he set on 27 April in his statement to Parliament. The Secretary of State also met political representatives in Northern Ireland to hear their views.It remains the UK Government’s firm view that the right people to make these decisions and set a budget are locally elected politicians in a fully functioning Northern Ireland Executive and Northern Ireland Assembly. In the absence of these, it will be for each Northern Ireland department to manage its funding within its budget allocation.

Department for Transport

Alternative Fuels

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what meetings they have had with industry bodies about recycled carbon fuels.

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the public health impacts of recycled carbon fuels through air pollution as compared to existing fuels and other alternative fuels such as those made from biomass.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: My Department has regular meetings with representatives from across the transport fuel sector where the government’s policy approach for recycled carbon fuel (RCF) is discussed. The policy on supporting and assessing RCFs has also been the subject of two public consultations, the first in spring 2021 followed by a second on detailed proposals last summer. As set out in the July 2021 Government response to the consultation “Targeting Net Zero, next steps for the Renewable Transport Fuels”, RCFs supplied in transport will need to meet existing petrol and diesel fuel standards. This will ensure the air quality emissions standards of RCFs will not fall below those of the fossil fuels they replace. The Department understands that the direct use of RCF derived pyrolysis oils can increase air pollutants, but these fuels will not be supported under the proposals to support RCFs.

Euston Station: Trees

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherthe large trees adjacent to the taxi rank at Euston Station were cut down as part of the HS2 project.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The trees adjacent to the taxi rank at Euston station have been removed as part of the HS2 works at Euston. These trees were removed in February in advance of the nesting season which starts in March.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Arts: Finance

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking steps to make up for in full the loss of funding from Creative Europe.

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to use the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to make up for the loss of funding from Creative Europe; and if so, how much funding will be provided to that end.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Government decided not to seek continued participation in the Creative Europe programme, but to look at other ways of supporting the UK’s cultural and creative sectors.The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a domestic successor to the European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund, and is not intended to be a replacement for Creative Europe. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is focused on building pride in place and increasing life chances, and delivered through three investment priorities: communities and place, local businesses, and people and skills.To support independent screen content – including film – to grow internationally, the Government launched the UK Global Screen Fund in April 2021 with initial funding of £7 million. We have committed a further £21 million to this Fund over the period 2022–25 to develop, distribute, and promote independent UK screen content in international markets.